WATFIV

WATFIV, or WATerloo FORTRAN IV, developed at the University of Waterloo, Canada is an implementation of the Fortran computer programming language. It is the successor of WATFOR.

WATFIV was used from the late 1960s into the mid-1980s. WATFIV was in turn succeeded by later versions of WATFOR. Because it could complete the three usual steps ("compile-link-go") in just one pass, the system became popular for teaching students computer programming.

In the early 1960s, newly formed computer science departments started university programs to teach computer programming languages. The Fortran language had been developed at IBM, but suffered from slow and error-prone three-stage batch processing workflow. In the first stage, the compiler started with source code and produced object code. In the second stage, a linker constructed a complete program using growing libraries of common functions. Finally, the program was repeatedly executed with data for the typical scientific and business problems of customers. Each step often included a new set of punched cards or tape. Students, on the other hand, had very different requirements. Their programs were generally short, but usually contained logic and syntax errors, resulting in time-consuming repetition of the steps and confusing "core dumps" (It often took a full day to submit and receive the successful or failed output from the computer operator). Once their programs worked correctly, they were turned in and not run again.

In 1961, the University of Wisconsin developed a technology called FORGO for the IBM 1620 which combined some of the steps. Similar experiments were carried out at Purdue University on the IBM 7090 in a system called PUFFT.

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